A Question
by KNDnumbuh678
Summary: Cedric asks Baileywick a question, but he's shocked at the answer.


**This is just a cute idea that came to me for no real reason. I haven't watched much Sofia the First so feel free to correct me on anything. Enjoy =)**

"Good morning Baileywick." The older man turned confused to the sorcerer behind him. The younger man seemed nervous for some reason which made the steward even more confused.

"Good morning to you as well Cedric. You seem to be upset is anything wrong?" Cedric nodded shyly looking at anything except the man before him. Baileywick was even more confused.

"Could I speak with you someplace private please?" Baileywick hesitated but nodded and gestured toward the servants quarters. The two walked on in silence until they reached Baileywick's rooms. Baileywick's rooms much like the man himself was very neat. They entered the space and the two sat down at a small table in the corner of the room.

"Now what's going on Cedric?" The sorcerer sighed and finally looked the older man in the eye. Baileywick was shocked when he saw sadness in the other man's eyes. Becoming concerned he gently took the younger man's hand and spoke cautiously.

"Cedric? I know you have something to tell me so please speak up." Cedric sighed again and spoke just above a whisper. The man thought out his words carefully because he knew he'd only get one chance to ask the question that's been troubling him mind for days.

"I've always kind of wondered this but never knew if it was appropriate to ask?" Baileywick raised a brow questioningly. What could Cedric possibly want to ask him that he thought was so controversial?

"Baileywick…why is it that you never got married?" Baileywick froze for a moment at the question. Nobody had ever asked him that before. He assumed everyone figured he was married to his job. He never really thought anybody would ask him why he's still single.

"Well that is an unusual question Cedric. What brought this on?" Cedric scratched his head and shrugged. The question just randomly popped into his head for some reason?

"Okay Cedric…to answer your question I never married because the one woman I would ever consider marrying passed on a long time ago." Cedric went wide eyed at this confection. The idea that Baileywick once had a lover wasn't the shock, it was the fact that she was gone and he'd never moved away for it was the reason for pause.

"Oh I'm so sorry. What was this woman like if you don't mind?" Baileywick sighed and leaned back in his chair. He'd never told anyone this story, but figured Cedric was being genuine in his curiosity and saw no harm in telling the other man.

"Wonderful…she never yelled at anyone even when it was justified for her to do so. She loved life and everything that came with it. I adored her more than anything else in the world." Baileywick's eyes became dreamy and a bit sad; Cedric was confused and gestured for the man to continue.

"Elisa was her name. She and I grew up together in the village. My father was the castle steward at the time and her father was the village baker. The two of us were rarely apart from one another. As we grew up our feelings for each other grew as well. I finally decided to take a chance and ask her father for his blessing to propose to her. Unfortunately the day I went to the bakery Elisa was being rushed to the clinic. When I asked her father what had happened he told me that one of the cows had gone berserk and trampled her." Cedric listened intently to the story leaning forward in his chair.

"I became afraid, more so than I've ever been. I ran as fast as I could to the village clinic to see Elisa…" Suddenly Baileywick stopped and Cedric looked at him with sympathy as the man took out his handkerchief and began wiping away tears flowing down his cheeks.

"I was too late getting there and Elisa was already gone. I couldn't believe she was gone, but I knew there wasn't anything that could have stopped what had happened. I simply coped with the loss the only way I knew how; by throwing myself into my work. It's also why I take looking after the children so seriously. Elisa and I often talked about starting a family of our own." Cedric couldn't find the words to respond to this.

"So now you know the story, is there anything else?" Cedric shook his head still in shock. The older man stood up and began walking towards the door. Cedric stood from his chair and talked up to Baileywick putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. The steward turned around and froze when the younger hugged him tightly. The contact was surprising yet comforting. Baileywick returned the gesture and the two separated leaving the room.

"Cedric I do hope you'll keep this conversation between us. I don't feel that anyone else needs to know about this." Cedric nodded and with one last smile the two parted company. Baileywick took out his pocket watch and looked at the time. He then looked to the top of the watch at a small painting of a much younger him standing with a young red headed woman with chocolate brown eyes and sweet freckles all across her nose. Baileywick smiled at the picture and closed the watch returning to his daily chores.

 **Well that's it guys, hope you liked it. Send me some feedback okay.**


End file.
